


If the world was ending

by watchtowerindistress



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, F/M, Flirty Bucky, Fluff, One-Shot, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Power Outage, Pre-Relationship, WinterShock - Freeform, but not really, give bucky barnes a hug, just two people talking to each other, not exactly a quarantine!fic, the events of civil war have been altered
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23702083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watchtowerindistress/pseuds/watchtowerindistress
Summary: During a power outage, Bucky and Darcy are stuck in the common room of the Avengers compound. Darcy decides they need to play a game to pass the time and get to know each other better.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Darcy Lewis, James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis
Comments: 5
Kudos: 82





	If the world was ending

**Author's Note:**

> I should be working on my sequel for We Are Not Our Masks but I can’t seem to let go of my dear boy Bucky. I know there is a high demand of Quarantine fics, but I think this one-shot is pretty close to it.

_Of course, it happened on a Saturday._

Only bad things could happen on a Saturday night.

An almost electrical sound ruptured through the air before the lights on the floor went out. Darcy’s heart was beating vigorously in her chest when she turned around and found the city of New York bathed into darkness.

No longer were the streets lit up by Times Square or street light showing the way.

“What the hell?”

“It’s probably a blackout,” a male voice mumbled quietly in the corner.

“Jesus, Barnes.” Darcy’s hand covered her chest in shock, not expecting or hearing another person to be on this floor at this time. “Warn a girl next time.” She’d detect the owner of that low, guttural voice anywhere.

“Sorry,” Bucky apologized quietly. If she had to guess, she would say that he lowered his head and let his hair fall over his eyes. Besides, Darcy needed to have superhuman vision to distinguish anything in this darkness.

With her gaze sweeping over her surroundings—it sounded like his voice came from the common room—a shadowed figure rocked nervously on the back of his feet.

He was probably just as freaked out about this unexpected situation just as she was.

Darcy waved off his contrition with the movement of her hand and tried to soothe his frayed nerves. “It’s okay.” Her head faced the ceiling. “FRIDAY, you haven’t gone Skynet on us, have you?”

The Welsh voice of the artificial intelligence reached their ears. “Rest assured, Miss Lewis, I’ve been programmed by Mr. Stark not to assert world dominance, so that past mistakes can’t be repeated. I’ve been monitoring a collapse of the city’s power grid system. Under Mr. Stark’s protocol of ‘Home alone’, I have been instructed to lock all inhabitants inside to ensure your safety.”

At that last information, Darcy narrowed her eyes in speculation. “Inside as in inside the building or are we locked on this floor?”

A tense pause hung in the air. “The latter.”

Darcy’s eyebrows arched with a sigh leaving her lips. “That’s just great,” she mumbled under her breath. Darcy’s fingers were itching to do something. Ready to take some action, Darcy laid her hands on her waist. The ethereal light of the moon barely shone through the high-ceiling windows and didn’t exactly offer a lot.

“Please tell me you know if there is candles around here?”

After she had uttered those words, silence weighed heavily between them. Either he had nodded his head or had decided to silently leave the room, without her even knowing about it.

“I can help you find them.”

And just like a promise, Bucky managed to procure a few candles. Not without some difficulties finding them of course. Heaven forbid, that being an easy task.

“You know, for a second, I thought Stark was the kind of guy who only bought LED candles.”

Darcy’s heart practically bloomed with happiness at seeing Bucky’s mouth twitch when he lit those candles and placed them on the coffee table in front of them and on the kitchen counter. In the end, who wouldn’t be filled with gratitude at getting this tight-lipped teddy bear to find some joy in his life?

Okay, she was admitting it, Darcy was doing everything in her power to tickle those muscles around his mouth.

A gut feeling was telling her though that the aggressive approach of literally tickling him was too much to ask for. Darcy counted herself lucky that Bucky didn’t seem to mind the full force of her hugs. At least, he didn’t deny her.

It must have been one of the main reasons why the next words left her mouth. “Do you want to play a game?”

Bucky’s stubbled cheek was illuminated by the almost-divine orange tint. “No, thank you. I know how you operate in Monopoly.”

Darcy rolled her eyes as a not-so distant memory sprang to mind. “Oh, come on, that was one time!” There was a reason why Sam didn’t want to play against her at any social game anymore. He might call it cheating but she liked to think she was just reorganizing the rules a bit.

“But no, how about Twenty Questions?”

Bucky’s stormy-blue eyes looked even more pronounced now as hesitance remained in his shoulders.

Darcy raised an eyebrow, ready to accommodate him. “Fifteen Questions?” Her voice sounded bright at the idea of finally sating her curiosity about him. “Come on, the number doesn’t matter. We can just get to know each other. Who knows how long this blackout is gonna last?”

Bucky’s speculating gaze remained on her eyes while nibbling on his lower lip. Way to make her even more distracted than she already was. Sitting so close to him and feeling his warmth made heat course through her body. “I think we should establish the rules first.”

Teasing laughter left her lips and her brown curls danced on her shoulders. “Okay, fine. We each take turns and ask each other questions. It’s allowed to repeat a question already asked by the other one. But we’re obliged to answer.”

“No cheating though,” Bucky felt necessary to remind her.

Darcy’s eyes widened while laughter shook her upper body. “How could I cheat at Twenty Questions?”

Bucky’s gray-blue eyes stayed uncertain. “Your ability to cheat still astounds me,” he whispered under his breath.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Darcy said with pride in her voice as air filled her lungs.

If she hadn’t looked straight into his eyes, she would have missed it but she didn’t imagine it when Bucky’s eyes wandered for a split second to her sweater-covered chest. Any other person and she would have found ways to humiliate that person but this was _Bucky_.

And she could appreciate that upon their first meeting, Bucky’s eyes remained on her eyes, other than his gaze constantly meeting the floor.

“So, do you want to start?”

Bucky pursed his lips. “Any question?”

“Nothing’s off-limits,” Darcy assured him. “And yes, you still have the full extent of your questions at your disposal.”

Bucky pressed his lips together as concentration lit up his eyes. “What’s the one food you can’t live without?”

Darcy rubbed her hands together in delight. “Oh, I guess, in the face of an impending apocalypse, I would bring lots of S'more pies into the bunker.”

Bucky arched his eyebrows. “Really?”

“It’s my not-so secret endeavor to survive on sweet desserts alone. And what about you? Any special foods of yours worth knowing about?” Darcy tilted her head in curiosity, eager for Bucky’s answer.

His eyes lit up at a certain memory coming to mind. “Probably the Roast Beef Sandwich from Brooklyn. It just melts in your mouth.”

An almost indecent groan left her mouth. “Maybe we shouldn’t have played this game. You’ve found my weakness and now I’m hungry.”

Bucky snorted, letting the corners of his mouth dance. “What’s your favorite movie?”

Without missing a beat, Darcy answered, “I absolutely love Charade. I always aspired to be Audrey Hepburn with her quick wit.” She continued at seeing the furrow between his brows, “Oh, you’ve been missing out. We’re going to add this to your list, sweet Buckster.”

Without realizing it, her hand patted his shoulder before Bucky’s head faced her familiar touch. Darcy couldn’t help being an affectionate person. Besides, who didn’t admire this hunk of a man?

_For scientific reasons of course._

Bucky’s fond smile was going to be the death of her. “Looking forward to it.”

“Now, who’d you be in a zombie apocalypse? Zombie or survivor?”

Bucky sent her a blank expression with the tilt of his head that left Darcy’s body shaking with laughter. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

“I think you know exactly what kind of role I’d play in an apocalypse.”

“Fine, your turn.”

“Favorite place in the world?”

“New York Botanical Garden,” Darcy revealed without needing to think about it.

Fascinated surprise was plain as day on his face. “Really?”

“What? Is that so hard to believe?”

“I just thought you’d say Central Park or some restaurant that had the latest trend.”

“And I thought you knew me, Buckaroo. Speaking of, what is your favorite smell?”

At the last word, a frown was painted on his face in confusion.

“What?” Darcy snorted nervously. “That’s not a weird question.”

Bucky still seemed unsure by her way of justifying herself. His next sentence was stretched into pieces. “If you say so.” He paused for a few seconds, needing a moment to think about that. “The smell of rain hitting the pavement.”

Darcy’s eyes widened empathically. “Right? Your turn.”

“Okay.” Bucky considered his next question carefully. “Three things that make you happy?”

Darcy’s mouth opened in shock, not having expected that kind of depth. “Oh geez, way to make me think so hard at night. Probably, pop-tarts, bath bombs and seeing Clint fall on his ass during training with Natasha.”

“Pop-tarts make you happy?” The corners of his mouth twitched.

“Hey, don’t knock ‘em until you tried ‘em. Don’t worry, my friend, I’ll show you my ways.” Again, her hand stroked his shoulder.

Mock outrage was on Bucky’s face. “Besides, I make Barton fall on his ass many times.”

Darcy’s hands eccentrically waved in the air. “It’s not the same. Natasha’s ways are funny and yours…” She cleared her throat as indecent thoughts hit her all at once. “Yours are just hot.”

Gray-blue eyes glinted with surprise and enthrallment. “Come again?”

Heat was slowly rising to her cheeks. “Nope, I didn’t say anything.”

Bucky’s upper body leaned forward while the flirting full force of a certain assassin enveloped her all around and made Darcy realize painfully that there was no option to escape.

Probably the heat wave from outside and her sweater wasn’t helping matters.

“Oh, but you did. You think it’s hot when I fight.” The word _‘hot’ _was uttered in such a low and whispering voice that Darcy had to cross her legs.

Darcy averted her gaze, feeling like she was copying Bucky from before. “Certainly did not say that.”

Bucky’s slow, blinding smirk attacked her ovaries. “Certainly did.”

Darcy cleared her throat, speaking hastily, “Okay, it’s my turn.”

Snorts of laughter wracked through his upper body as he leaned back again. “Alright.”

As soon as her heart started beating normally again, Darcy arched her eyebrows. “What about you?”

Bucky’s expression remained blank. “What about me?”

“List three things that make you happy.”

His breath halted in his throat before he let it out slowly. “You certainly don’t pull any punches, huh?” he whispered quietly.

“Just think about it. What makes you happy, Bucky?”

The raven-haired man licked his lips before an exhaling breath pressed through them. “Three things that make me happy,” he pondered to himself. Bucky pursed his lips as his eyes glinted darkly. “Eating Sam’s food from the fridge does put a smile on my face.”

Darcy nodded once in agreement. “Granted.”

“Watching the animals in the zoo in the Bronx and … cooking old recipes from my ma.”

Darcy’s heart flourished with a blissful emotion. “Oh, you’re far too precious for this world.” She had to resist the urge to frame his cheeks like he was an adorable puppy. A soft smile was displayed on her lips. “What kind of foods?”

“Is that your next question?” Bucky raised an eyebrow, with a teasing smirk revealing his intentions.

“Fine, take it off the list. Just tell me something about Mama Barnes.”

Bucky’s fingers tapped against the cushion while his features softened. “My ma was an Italian immigrant from second generation and just like her own mother taught her … she showed me how to make Ravioli with Spinach, Meatballs and Parmesan Roasted Potatoes since I was a little kid. At least, I write it down in one of my notebooks when a certain memory resurfaces.”

Darcy let out another groan, pointing a finger at him as a reminder. “Okay, first off, I think we need to seriously stop talking about food. And second, you’ve been holding out on me. All these months and I didn’t know you could cook. And here it was me who willingly shared the famous Peach Cobbler from Mama Lewis.”

Bucky chuckled quietly to himself, letting his head drop forward. He rubbed his long legs with his palms. “It’s just something I like to do for myself.”

“Cathartic?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Darcy was gazing fondly at Bucky, feeling so much more appreciative of him than she could ever imagine. She breathed in deeply. “So, tell me, scary movie or happy endings?”

Bucky shrugged his shoulders, letting his hair cover most of his face. “Don’t really have a preference.”

“Oh, come on. Everyone’s got one. What do you like? Some romantic movie with a happy ending or something frightening that would have someone cover their faces in your neck?”

Bucky let his arm rest casually on the backrest of the couch. The dim light couldn’t shield the slight sultry look in his eyes from her. Geez, only 10% of the Bucky Barnes flirting treatment and she was officially done for.

“Why not both?”

“Jesus, you’re a damn menace. I knew the old stories in my History class held some truth.”

Bucky let a small sigh pass his lips, almost like the feeling of melancholy was getting to him.

“As much as Steve wants the old me back, I don’t think there is any way back.”

Darcy exhaled quietly, feeling the need to reassure him. “Just give him time to adapt. Nobody wants you to be something you’re not.” She tilted her head in thought, inspecting her companion. “If anything, I like this ‘_you’_.”

Bucky scoffed, disagreeing with her. “You mean paranoid, flighty and anti-social?”

“You’re not flighty, I am the flighty person here. Besides, I’m social enough for the both of us. And no, I’d call you a survivor. And I have all the time in the world to make you see that too.”

Bucky was watching her silently while biting his lip.

Darcy’s facial expression turned challenging. “So, shall we continue playing our game or are you tired already of being too social with me?”

An inscrutable feeling shone in his misty ocean eyes before he raised his hand in invitation. “Be my guest.”

* * *

The moment when Darcy woke up the next morning, it felt like last night had been a dream.

New York having a blackout seemed so far-fetched.

But the moment she felt a blanket cover her body, she knew it had been real. A certain someone must have brought her to her room as soon as the electricity was up again and yielded to the gentlemanly urge to keep her warm.

Her lips formed into an unconscious smile when her cheeks blushed softly.

Darcy covered her warm face. One thing was for sure: Bucky Barnes was a danger to her emotions.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, she was moving towards the kitchen. If there was one thing she knew, it was that scientists needed their food during their science binges.

“Oh hello there.”

She stopped in her tracks when she discovered the man who has been haunting her daydreams and previous thoughts and was leaning against the kitchen counter. His gray-colored Henley stretched his muscled arms deliciously and almost sated her morning appetite.

A small smile played on his lips as he slowly turned around. “Morning, Darce.”

“Good morning to you, too.”

Her eyes caught the steaming mugs next to his arm leaning on the marble counter, just before Bucky realized what had her attention. “I made you a cup of coffee.” He lifted it in the air as an offer.

The smell of caffeine reached her nostrils with the mention of her liquid stimulation.

A slow grin blossomed on her face. “Oh, you’re becoming my new favorite person.”

Bucky slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Who am I competing with?”

“Jane. But don’t worry, sweet Buckster, you can’t win against her.”

Bucky nodded, barely hiding a smile. “Duly noted. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Excitement and nervous energy was vibrating through his body and his eyes glinted with something unspeakable.

“Another?” Darcy sweeped a curl of her hair behind her ear, feeling the same exhilaration thrum through her. “I’m a lucky gal. What is it?”

“Please don’t tell me this is a stupid idea but…” His hand reached behind him and out of nowhere a DVD case of Charade met her eyes.

An excited gasp was muffled by her hands. Her next words were barely comprehensible. “Barnes, you’re a God among men.”

“Would you want to watch it with me? I mean, you keep saying that I should watch those movies I have missed.”

Darcy’s eyes lit up at the mere idea. Bucky wasn’t known to seek people out on his own. She wouldn’t take this for granted.

Her hand patted his bulking chest and—did she lick her lips at the contracting pecs—cleared her throat. “You’ve picked the right person for the job.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think! This is my first Wintershock fic after all. 🤷🏻♀️


End file.
